Film-mending machine



Jan, 13, L. CZAKO FILM MENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 20, 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan, 13, 1925- L. CZAKO FILM MENDING MACHINE Filed Feb.20, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

urrso STATES LAszLo ozAKo, or BUDAPEST, HUNGARY.

'FILM-MENDING MACHINE.

Application filed February 20, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LriszLo CzAKo, the owner of the firm Correxworksmanufactory of machines for the film industry Laszlo Czak, of BudapestIV, Koronaheroeg u. 2, in the State Hungary, a subject of the KingdomHungary, and resident of Budapest, in the State Hungary (whosepostoifice address is Budapest, Hungary, 1V, Koronaherceg utca 2), haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Film- Mending Machines,of which the following is a specification. i

The present invention relates to apparatus for use in joining togetherlengths'of photographic or cinematograph film. The object of theinvention is to provide improved apparatus of the kind which is simplein con struction and eflicient in operation. An embodiment of theinvention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1represents in side elevation (partly in section) the initial position ofthe parts prior to the joining of the ends of two films, Fig. 2 showinga cross section during. the stroke of the scraping tool, while Fig. 3 isa longitudinal section of the apparatus shortly before the advancingclamp reaches its terminal position. Figs. 4, and 6, represent modifieddetails of means for trimming and preparing the edges to be olned, Fig.4

showing a cross section of the apparatus durmg the trlmming oil of theends of the films, while Flgs. 5 and 6 show respectively a cross sectionand longitudinal section during the scraping operation. 7

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the ends of the two lengths of film, 1, 2which are to be joined together, are each gripped in a clamp, the clampon the left hand side being stationary, whereas that on the right can bemoved towards and from the other, in the longitudinal direction of thefilm. The upper jaw 3 of the stationary clamp is hinged at 6 on abracket 5 on the machine frame 4, and is provided with pressure springs7 (Fig. 3). The lower jaw 8 of the clamp projects beyond the upper jawafter the man: her of a lip. The two jaws 3 gether with the end of thestrip of film 1 to be clamped, are held firmly by hook levers 9, adaptedto be swung round pivots 11 on the upper jaw 3, by means of a handle.10, the hook engaging a pin 12 on the lower jaw 8. The latter jaw isprovided with teeth 13 which fit into the lateral perforations of theand 8, to-.

Serial No. 538,135.

film in order to adjust the position of the film properly (Fig. 3).

The upper jaw 14 of the movable clamp is operated in a similar manner,whereas the lower jaw consists of two plates 15, 16. The plate 16 isarranged between 14 and 15 and is adapted to move longitudinallyrelatively to the upper jaw 14. The plate 15 being provided withadjusting teeth and having its front edge projecting beyond the edge ofthe plate 16. The plate 16 is slotted at 17, in the sphere of action ofthe teeth, so as to enable it to be moved without affecting theadjustment of the film. In this case the pin 19 and bracket 18 form partof the relatively fixed lower plate 15.

The movable clamp is mounted on a carriage 20 which is secured on a rod22, provided with a handle 21 and guided in bearings 23, 24 on the frameof the machine. A threaded pin 25 engages in a longitudinal groove inthe rod 22 and prevents the same from turning round. The stroke of thefeed rod is limited by an adjustable stop 26.

The lower plate 15 of the movable clamp is pivoted to the carriage 20 at27, and is guided vertically in the carriage by means of a fork likebearing 28. This plate 15 is connected to the carriage 20 by means oftension springs 29, (Figs. 2 and 3).

On one side of the path traversed by the movable clamp is a guide plate31 (Fig. 1) which slopes upwards gradually towards the left andterminates in a. sheer edge. The lower plate 15 of the movable clamp isprovided with a pin or the like (not shown in .the drawing), which rideson the guide plate 31 as the clamp advances and raises the movable clampagainst the pull of the springs 29, 30. On reaching the edge of thesheer side, the movable clamp drops down on to the fixed clamp aided bythe springs 29, 30.

The intermediate tongue 16 is provided with a tail piece 32, the head ofwhich strikes against a screw 34 when the movable clamp is moved forwarda certain distance (Fig. 3) and retains the tongue 16 in a rearwardposition in relation to the other members of the clamp, which continueto advance.

A plane 35 (Fig. 2) is adapted to travel across the path of the clamp.and is provided with two film-cutter blades 36, spaced apart a distanceequal to the distance be tween the clamp edges, and behind one of Ill)left exposed between the'ja w 3 these blades, a scraper 37 is arranged.The cutters '36 co-act with the inner front edges of the clamp jaws, inthe initial position of the clamps as shown in Fig. 1, and cut off theprojecting ends of the strips of film, 1,

arrested by the stops 42, 13 and'eei, 15011 the 1 pivoted arms 10, 11and machine frame 45, comingi'nto contact.

The above-described machine operates as follows The strips of film 1, 2ai'e placed on the plates 8 and 15 respectively with their coated sides"upwards, theteeth 13,17'c1'1gag ing the perforations in the 'edgesofthe strips, and the strips are clamped sojthat the line along whicheachis to be cut registers with the inner edge of the clamp jaws, theportionintended for the overlap being and. lipv of the fixed clamp '8.The clamps being in the position shown in Fig. 1, the plane 35 is pu-tinto action and moved acrossuntifarrested by the aforesaid stops. Duringthis "stroke of the plane, the ends of tlie'fihns are trimmed off andthe emulsion is scraped "off the portion of films lying on theprojection'lip of the fixed clamp 38 by the scraper 37, which acts likea plane. The left hand overlap film thus denuded of emulsion is thencoatedwith an adhesive and the rod 22 ispu'shed forward carrying themovable clamp with it. During this stroke, the sloping guide plate 81raises the movable clamp,

whilst the stops 33, 3 1 hold the tongue 16 back so as to expose a stripof overlap film on the underside of the clamp member 14. Finally, themovable clamp drops down on to the fixed one, the overlaps rest one overthe other and are held firmly together by the action of the springs 29,30. The width of the overlap can be regulated by adjusting the stops at33, 81 and 26.

The drawing shows, in addition, a lamp housing at, arranged in themachine frame and covered by a glass plate 416. The strip of film ispassed over the glass plateand examined by the light transmittedfrombelow.

According to the modification shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6 a rocking arm49, pivoting on pins 418, is provided on the machine frame 1, andcarries two cutter blades 51 secured to arms 50. These blades take-theplace of the cutters 36 of Fig. 2, and shear oi the ends of filmprojecting from the clamp jaws 3,8 and 1 1, 16 respectively. The arm 19is provided with two spindles 52, 53 connected together at their outerends by a plate 54.

the embodiment already described, with the.

exception tl1at,'inthe present case, thecutters 51'have'ashearingaction.s In the operating path'of the scraper 59, the'fraine 4 of the machineslopes sharply fromthe face 61, which is flush with the surface of thefilm,down to the shoulder 62, so that, when the scraper reaches the endof its stroke, its bent'tip straightens"out'sud-V denly onpassin'gthe'edge Gland fli'ngs the scrapings of emulsion 'outofflt'h'e my. Thestrip of emulsion to be scrape'dfolfis preferably "softened beforehandwith a little water. i

The elasticity ofthe tip'jof the steel strip 59 enables it to scrape offthe emulsion cleanly even when the coating 'is uneven, withput' damagingthe material of the film itsel i I Although I have illustrated and",described only two' forins of'the i'nventio'nfI am a are" of the factthat many modifica tions 'ca-nbe madether'ein by "faiiy person skilledin the art without departingfroin thesc'ope of the invention aseXp'ressedin the claims. V

ThereforeI d-o'not wish to be limited to all the-"details of theconstruction shown in either of the forms, but what I 'do claim is: 1.In, an apparatus'foruse joining-t0, gether strips of photographic filmwith two clam'ps'for theends ofthe film to be joined, one of theclampsbeing fixed and the other movable, the latter comprising tli'ree parts,an upper and a lower partrelativelyfsta tionary and an intermediate partmovable V relatively to the other'parts. a

2. In an apparatus for use in joining toget her' strips ofphotographicfihn with two clamps for the ends of the film to be joined,7' oneof the clamps being fixed and :the other movable, the lattercomprising threeparts,

an upper and lower part relatively stat'mna'r {and an intermediate partmovable relatively to the. other parts, an inclined plate for raisingthe'movable'clamp byad- V vancl'ng towards the fixed'clamp and allow-j 7ing it to drop at the end of its advance move ment, the upper'jawrauingnpon the projecti'ng jaw of the stationary clamp .3. Titanapparatus for use in joining together'strips'o f photographic film withtwo clamps fortheends-of the film tobeijoined, one of the clamps beingfixed and the other movable, the latter comprising three parts, an upperand a lower part relatively stationary and an intermediate part movablerelatively to the other parts, the intermediate part of the movable jawbeing provided with a rearward projection having a stop for limiting theforward motion of the said intermediate part.

4:. In an apparatus for use in joining together strips of photographicfilm with two clamps for the ends of the film to be joined, one of theclamps being fixed and the other movable, the latter comprising threeparts,

an upper and a lower part relatively stationary and an intermediate partmovable relatively to the other parts, the combination with a flexiblescraper, with the under end "tree springing and with the upper endsliding on a cross plane, and bending by passing over the film andscraping off the emulsion.

5. In an apparatus for use in joining together strips of photographicfilm with two clamps for the ends of the film to be joined, one of theclamps being fixed and the other movable, the latter comprising threeparts, an upper and a lower part relatively stationary and anintermediate part movable relatively to the other parts, the combinationwith a flexible scraper, with the under end free springing and with theupper end sliding on a cross plane, and bending by passingover the filmand scraping off the emulsion, the working length of the flexiblescraper surpassing the distance between the said cross plane and theplace of the film.

6. In an apparatus for use in joining together strips of photographicfilm with two clamps for the ends of the film to be joined, one of theclamps being fixed and the other movable, the latter comprising threeparts, an upper and a lower part relatively stationary and anintermediate part movable relatively to the other parts, the combinationwith a flexible scraper, with the under end free springing and with theupper end sliding on a cross plane, and bending by passing over the filmand scraping oil the emulsion, the working length of the flexiblescraper surpassing the distance between the said cross plane and theplace of the film; the treating path of the said flexible scraper bothsides precipitiously ending relatively to the place of the film.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Signed at Budapest State of Hungary this 24 day of January 1922.

LAszLo CZAKO. Witnesses:

HUG KALMAR, ROBERT LoRAUT.

